Densely tufted perennial 5-25 cm tall, covered with minute, harsh, retrorsely barbed hairs that give the surface the texture of shark skin or a cat's tongue; basal leaves spatulate, dentate, with 2-4 teeth per side, or sometimes the smallest leaves nearly entire; midstem leaves 3-8.5 cm long, 8-21 mm wide, the blade spatulate or lanceolate in outline, tapering gradually to a slender petiole, the blade from shallowly to deeply dentate or pinnatisect, 3-7 teeth or lobes per side, when pinnatisect or deeply dentate the rachis 2-8 mm wide and the lobes straight or sometimes falcate, tapering from base to acute tip; inflorescence congested; flowers symmetrical, petals about 10, white or pale cream when fresh, 10-13 mm long, intergrading with outer stamens (which have broad filaments); capsule cupulate, 5-8 mm long, 5-6 mm wide, the calyx lobes on capsules narrowly triangular-subulate; seeds narrowly winged. Flowers July through September.